Lock cylinder cover



April 1l, 1967 R. s. GULETTE ET AL LOCK CYLINDER COVER Filed Aug. 4, 1964 INVENTORS Form/a 5 @zz/@33e c5 BY 620257@ f2 fyi/'e MM l TUMI/ &

United States Patent O 3,313,136 LUCK CYLINDER COVER Ronald S. Gillette, Warren, and George D. Legge, Farmington, Mich., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 4, 1964, Ser. No. 387,315 2 Claims. (Cl. 70-455) This invention relates to vehicle bodies and more particularly to lan improved closure and lock cylinder arrangement for vehicle bodies.

One feature of this invention is that it provides an improved closure and lock cylinder arrangement for vehicle bodies wherein the closure and lock cylinder are provided with cooperating means to maintain the closure in an open position relative to the lock cylinder. Another feature of this invention is that the closure is automatically released from engagement with the lock cylinder upon rotation of the lock cylinder to release the lock. A further feature of this invention is that the closure is returned to closed position wherein it covers the lock cylinder upon release thereof from engagement with the lock cylinder and removal of the key from the cylinder. Yet another feature of this invention is that the closure includes a cover member and a link member pivoted to an intermediate portion of the cover member, with one of the members being pivotally supported on the body and the other member including means engageable with means on the lock cylinder to hold the cover member in an open position withrespect to the lock cylinder.

These and other features f this invention will be readily apparent from the following specication and drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a partial perspective view of a vehicle body embodying a closure and lock cylinder arrangement according to this invention, with the closure being shown in open position relative to the lock cylinder;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged broken away view showing the closure in closed position;

FIGURE 3 is a partially broken away view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 3 3 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 4-4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a view taken generally along the plane indicated by line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

Referring now to FIGURE l, a vehicle body designated generally includes a closure such as a hood 12 which is mounted on the body for movement between open and closed positions and is adapted to be held in closed position by suitable latch means, not shown, engageable with striker means, not shown, on the body. The latch means is releasable from the exterior of the body by means of a lock cylinder -assembly designated generally 14 which includes a lock cylinder 18 rotatably mounted therein and adapted to receive a suitable key in order to rotate the cylinder 18 relative to the body 10. The assembly 14 is of conventional construction and the details thereof form no part of this invention.

The free swinging edge portion of the closure 12 includes a recess 20 adjacent the free swinging edge thereof and a housing 22 lits within the recess and is suitably secured to the closure 12. The portions of the recess 20 to each side of the housing 22 are closed or concealed from view by portions 24 of a vehicle body molding assembly designated generally 26, which integrally includes the housing 22 as shown. As shown in FIGURE 3, the lock cylinder assembly 14 is secured to the housing 22 in order to mount the assembly on the closure 12.

As shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the housing 22 includes a vertically spaced pair of apertured ears 28 which pivotally receive therethrough a pin or shaft 30. A closure or 3,313,136 Patented Apr. 1 1, 1967 cover member 32 includes an upper apertured ear 34 and a lower apertured boss 36 which receive the pin 30 and `are xedly secured thereto in a suitable manner to swingably mount the closure 32 on the body for movement between a closed position as shown in FIGURE 3, wherein it forms a continuation of the portions 24 of assembly 26, and an open position as shown in FIGURE l. It will be noted that the ear 34 and boss 36 slidably bear on the ears 28 of the housing 22 and that the upper end of pin 30 seats on a boss 38 of assembly 26.

An intermediate portion of the closure 32 is provided with apertured bosses 40 and 42 which Xedly mount a pin 44. A link or control member 46 is swingably mounted on the pin 44 by means of spaced curls 48 thereof encircling the pin 44. An intermediate curl 50 of the member 46 is in spaced relationship to the pin 44 and a coil torsion spring 52 is located between the curl 50 and the pin 44, with one end of the spring 52 engaging the end of the curl 50, as shown in FIGURE 2, and the other end of the spring engaging the inner surface of the closure 32, as shown in FIGURE 5, to bias the member 46 in acounterclockwise direction relative to the closure, as viewed in FIGURE 3. Preferably, the member 46 is formed of thin sheet material and is slotted as shown in FIGURE 2 to provide a resilient tongue 54. The tongue 54 and member 46 include like flanged edges 56 which bear against a wall 58 of the housing 22 adjacent the lock cylinder assembly 14 when the closure 32 is in closed position. A coil torsion spring 60 surrounds pin 30 and has one end thereof engaging the inner surface of closure 32, as shown in FIGURE 4, and the other end thereof engaging housing 22, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, to bias closure 32 to closed position.

When the closure 32 is moved from a closed position, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, to an open position, as shown in FIGURE 1, manual pressure is applied to the left of the pin 30, as viewed in FIGURES 2 and 3, to swing the right-hand portion of the closure outwardly of the body as the left-hand portion swings inwardly of the body Vagainst the action of spring 60. During this movement of the closure to an open position, the member 46 will swing counterclockwise,relative thereto or inwardly of the body under the action of spring 52 as the hanged edge 56 thereof and of tongue 54 move over the wall 58 of the housing 22 and over the lock cylinder assembly 14. As the anged edge 56 of tongue 54 moves over the lock cylinder assembly 14, it will engage 4and cam overa lug or abutment 64 provided on the lock cylinder 18 and having a sloping cam surface terminating in an arcuate edge or shoulder 66. When the flanged edge 56 of the tongue 54 engages the edge 66, the closure 32 will be maintained in an open position, as shown in FIGURE 1.

When a suitable key is inserted into the lock cylinder 18 and the cylinder is rotated to release the latch, the lug 64 will be rotated to move the edge 66 thereof out of engagement with the anged edge 56 of the tongue 54 so that the number 46 will thereupon move over the lock cylinder assembly 14 and into engagement with the key as the closure 32 moves toward a closed position under the action of spring 60. Upon withdrawal of the key, the closure 32 will move to a fully closed position covering the lock cylinder assembly 14 as the llanged edge 56 of tongue 54 moves over lug 64 as the lock cylinder y18 moves to its normal position as shown.

Should the closure 32 be in an open position as shown in FIGURE 1 and someone apply force thereto tending to move the closure to a closed position as shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3, the tongue 54 will bow and permit the anged edge 56 thereof to slide over the lug 64 to permit the closure 32 to move to a closed position without damage to the closure and without actuation of the lock cylinder 18. This feature provides a safeguard preventby accidental force applied to the closure 32 when in the Y v open position thereof.

closure member for closing the opening of'said lock cylin der, means mounting said closure member on said vehicle body for movement between open and Vclosed positions with respect to said lock cylinder, means biasing said closure member to closed position, a detent member pivotally secured to an intermediate portion of the closure member, said detent member being resilient and including a deectable portion, means biasing said detent `member toward said lock cylinder, said deectable portion being engageable with said abutment means on said lock cylinder in the open position of said `closure member to retain said closure member in said open position against the action of said closure member biasing means, and said detent member permits said delectable portion to slide over said abutment means without damage to said detent member when la force is applied to said closure member in said open position.

2. In combination with a vehicle body, a rotatable lock cylinder supported by said body and lincluding an abutment having an arcuately shaped edge, a closure member for closing the opening of said lock cylinder, means mounting said closure member on said vehicle body for movement between open `and closed positions with respect to said lock cylinder, means biasing said closure member to closed position, a detent member pivotally secured to an intermediate portion of the closure member and including a deectable portion, means biasing said detent member toward said lock cylinder, said deflectable portion being engageable with said edge of said abutment in the open position of said closure member to retain said closure member in said open position against the action of said closure member biasing means, rotation of said lock cylinder moving said abutment edge out of engagement with said detent member portion to permit said closure member biasing means to move said closure member to closed position against the action of said detent member biasing means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,096,568 10/1937 Snively 70--455 2,213,814 9/1940 Jacobi 70-455 2,223,615 12/1940 Jacobi 70-455 2,454,925 11/ 1948 Jacobi 70-455 2,736,598 2/1956 Laffey 292-338 EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner.

P. TEITELBAUM, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A VEHICLE BODY, A LOCK CYLINDER SUPPORTED BY SAID BODY AND INCLUDING ABUTMENT MEANS, A CLOSURE MEMBER FOR CLOSING THE OPENING OF SAID LOCK CYLINDER, MEANS MOUNTING SAID CLOSURE MEMBER ON SAID VEHICLE BODY FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS WITH RESPECT TO SAID LOCK CYLINDER, MEANS BIASING SAID CLOSURE MEMBER TO CLOSED POSITION, A DETENT MEMBER PIVOTALLY SECURED TO AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE CLOSURE MEMBER, SAID DETENT MEMBER BEING RESILIENT AND INCLUDING A DEFLECTABLE PORTION, MEANS BIASING SAID DETENT MEMBER TOWARD SAID LOCK CYLINDER, SAID DEFLECTABLE PORTION BEING ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID ABUTMENT MEANS ON SAID LOCK CYLINDER IN THE OPEN POSITION OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER TO RETAIN SAID CLOSURE MEMBER IN SAID OPEN POSITION AGAINST THE ACTION OF SAID CLOSURE MEMBER BIASING MEANS, AND SAID DETENT MEMBER PERMITS SAID DEFLECTABLE PORTION TO SLIDE OVER SAID ABUTMENT MEANS WITHOUT DAMAGE TO SAID DETENT MEMBER WHEN A FORCE IS APPLIED TO SAID CLOSURE MEMBER IN SAID OPEN POSITION. 